Water????????

[Manda]

suppose it's individual choice as long as the baby is fed regularly when you offer it water it'll take it if it wants it and will ignore it if it doesn't, Abi would never take much until she was about 5 months in Oz they encourage you to give them water so i suppose the advice all over is different main point being it WILL NOT harm your baby to give it water, i think they research into too much stuff nowadays, babies were fine years ago before all this research was done and thats why with Abi i do what i think/feel is right and she has no problems at all, how can something that was good for them years ago suddenly be bad? there are a lot more children with asthma and getting bad tummy upsets these days and it's all down to mothers being too sterile, my sister in law used to sterilise my nieces dummy even when she started playing with toys that had been on the floor she was not obsesive but did sterilise when there wasn't a need the first time my niece went to a kiddies play centre she ended up in hospital with gastorentaritous (sp sorry) because she had been kept too sterile yet todays research would say she wasn't too sterile, i stopped sterilising her dummy everytime she dropped it about 2 months ago (unless it's on the floor outside) and so far all is well their bodies need to be used to germs from young age.

Another thing is i was told by my HV that the reason they say you shouldn't start solids until 6 months now is to protect the babies in 3rd world countries. something to do with them being weaned at 4 months and getting diseases from the water (obviously contaminated/dirty in 3rd world)and not being strong enough to fight them and dying - why should this affect my baby when she is not living in a 3rd world country? what do others think?

Sorry to hve gone off topic but just showing an example about how over the top the so called experts are.

I believe if you do what you feel is right you wont go wrong.

 

[Urchin]

Maybe the climate in Australia is why they recommend water for breastfed babies. My breastmilk is so watery at the start of a feed I definitley do not need to give Brody water on top.

 

I don't give Damien water and he is bottle fed formula. He doesn't want for it. If it was hot during the day I would top him up with water to hydrate him, but milk contains all that he needs.

 

[Kim]

I don't give Rubie water either, unless she is constipated, then I will give her some water with prune juice.

 

[fayebalina]

[/quote]Fayebalina just a quick question - Do you feed off of both breasts at each feed?[/quote]I sometimes feed on both depends if he empties the first one which he often does!

Im getting a bit worried actually as my boobs really dont feel as full as they should after a 4/5/6 hour break......they did before its just recently!

Panicing about the water now! Will ask hv on fri.........but shes crap!

 

[Urchin]

Im getting a bit worried actually as my boobs really dont feel as full as they should after a 4/5/6 hour break......they did before its just recently!

Mine vary all the time, but haven't felt really full for ages.... lots of the times when Brody is due a feed I can't feel the difference in my boobs. I know it can by worrying, but rest assured if you are exclusivley breastfeeding, your body WILL be making enough milk.
I should really drink more water, I'm crap at remembering and would much rather have a tea or coffee but they don't at all as they are diuretics

 

[xSuzx]

It could be that your little one is on a growth spurt and is trying to boost your breast milk supply.

this would explain why they still seem hungry/thirsty after a feed and why you don't always feel as full when a feed is due.

also remember that after a few weeks your breasts start to make breast milk when your baby feeds (on demand) rather then "storing" it up if that makes sense.

What we must remember is that breastmilk is totally different in stucture to formular milk, it is alot more watery then formular and more easily digested this is why breastfed babys usually need feeding more often then bottle fed babies.

I breastfed my youngest until 10 months and never gave him water for thirst (gave cooled boiled water once or twice when had a stomach upset). plus giving water from a bottle can interfere with breastfeeding as babies use different techniquics(sp) for sucking on a bottle, plus can interfere with demand feeding as baby feels fuller even though it han't been fed which can effect your milk supplie.

If you are worried that you are not producing enough milk maybe try expressing some after a feed and as long as you get 1 or 2 oz every thing sould be fine.

sorry its so long

xSuzx

 

[Rosieroo]

Fayebalina

My boobs don't feel full now after a gap - they only do in the morning (I express before I go to bed so normally they feel really full after about 9-10 hours).

Your boobs are still adjusting to what you LO needs - honestly in a few weeks time you'll be wondering what you ever worried about (I was the biggest worrier about my supply )

 

[Urchin]

It could be that your little one is on a growth spurt and is trying to boost your breast milk supply.

this would explain why they still seem hungry/thirsty after a feed and why you don't always feel as full when a feed is due.

also remember that after a few weeks your breasts start to make breast milk when your baby feeds (on demand) rather then "storing" it up if that makes sense.

What we must remember is that breastmilk is totally different in stucture to formular milk, it is alot more watery then formular and more easily digested this is why breastfed babys usually need feeding more often then bottle fed babies.

I breastfed my youngest until 10 months and never gave him water for thirst (gave cooled boiled water once or twice when had a stomach upset). plus giving water from a bottle can interfere with breastfeeding as babies use different techniquics(sp) for sucking on a bottle, plus can interfere with demand feeding as baby feels fuller even though it han't been fed which can effect your milk supplie.

If you are worried that you are not producing enough milk maybe try expressing some after a feed and as long as you get 1 or 2 oz every thing sould be fine.

sorry its so long

xSuzx

Excellent post Suz

 

[Rooander]

Hiya Faye,
My boobs have seem to stop feeling full now as well, they only seem hard and full in the morning, usually when i wake up and the sheets wet . I feed Ruby on one side and take off 5oz on the other side but after that my boobs just seem empty for ages but when she wants another feed they seems to just pour again even though they feel empty. Dont worry too much about hunnie.
And as for the water Vs tea, Im afraid Im a culprit for wanting a cuppa. I try and reach for a glass of water but the kettle is just so close!!!

 

[emilia]

Each one to himself I suppose, but thanks to ongoing research, we can actually make healthier choices for or babies/children. I also regard any further research/information as "personal guidance" and draw my own conclusions. Remember Manda, some people have no commonsense whatsoever, and that's maybe why government health professionals set out regulations/guidelines.
When I was a baby, my paediatrician, recommended to my mother, that she should feed me CARNATION IDEAL MILK!!! My mum did that - can you believe it???? The stuff is bloody vile and nothing but fat and sugar!!
Thank god we've moved on.
Emilia xx

 

[beanie]

The six month guideline is there as too many mums were weaning there baby too early which can lead to digestion problems and food allergies. The guidelines at the moment are not before 17 weeks for any solids unles you have had medical advice to start baby sooner. They say the closer you can get to 6 months the better as baby is more ready in their general development for them then. Again these are guidelines but like Emilia says ongoing research helps us to make healthier choices. I heard how mums used to put whisky in the babies milk to help them sleep and I am sure it didn't do anyone "any harm" but I doubt any of us would even contemplate such a thing.

With a breastfed baby no supplementary fluids should be given unless under the advise of a Dr as this can affect milk supply and also your baby may not be getting enough calories as the water will fill them up. If baby still seems to want more milk after they have fed it could be that they had wind which has shifted and they just fancy a top up, or that they want a quick snack. Just let your baby lead the way

Emilia - carnation milk, eeewwwww. Hate the stuff.